April Book List

Boundaries In Marriage by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
I didn't make it through the original Boundaries book, but I really wanted to read this one. It's pretty sound advice. Almost everything the authors say is followed by Scripture references. At the same time, I feel like you could easily carry this philosophy too far. I recommend it, but with a grain of salt.

In This Mountain* and Light From Heaven by Jan Karon
The last two books in the Mitford series - I'd read the first one before. It ended really well. I cried happy tears. :) It didn't wind up quite as neatly as a last novel in a series should, but then I heard Jan Karon is writing more novels about Father Tim. They just won't be set in Mitford. (Well, neither were a couple of the Mitford books.) Interesting.

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller
This is the newest addition to my Favorite Books list. It's exactly what the title says - a line-by-line look at Psalm 23 from the perspective of a real shepherd. There are many deep levels of meaning in the psalm that most of us miss because we don't know sheep terms. :) For that reason, I think this is a book that every Christian should read. It's fairly short and easy, but I feel so much more cherished and cared for by God now that I understand what it means to have Him as my Shepherd. Very enriching.

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus*
Another re-read, for a book circle I'm part of. :) This is a novel about a nanny (named Nanny :P) who cares for a sweet rich boy in NYC. As her employment continues, she basically ends up baby-sitting his dysfunctional parents as well. It's hard to put down and has funny moments, but for the most part, it's a sad book. Sad because I know that there really are self-absorbed parents in the world who see their child as nothing more than a fashion accessory or a pawn in their marital struggles.

Dress Rehearsal by Jennifer O'Connell
I think I heard about this book from one of you. It's a novel about Lauren, who's the most popular wedding-cake baker in Boston. She has a weird knack of knowing whether a marriage will work out by observing the way the couple selects their cake. Unfortunately, when her best friend comes in to choose her wedding cake, Lauren's impending-disaster alarms start going off. While she's figuring out what to do about that, her ex-boyfriend shows up with his fiancee (surprise!) and selects the very cake that Lauren wanted for herself someday. Funny drama ensues. I LOVED it! The only drawback to this book was that I craved cake the whole time I was reading it. Luckily we didn't have any. :)

Books this month: 6
2006 year to date: 26

April Book List

Boundaries In Marriage by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
I didn't make it through the original Boundaries book, but I really wanted to read this one. It's pretty sound advice. Almost everything the authors say is followed by Scripture references. At the same time, I feel like you could easily carry this philosophy too far. I recommend it, but with a grain of salt.

In This Mountain* and Light From Heaven by Jan Karon
The last two books in the Mitford series - I'd read the first one before. It ended really well. I cried happy tears. :) It didn't wind up quite as neatly as a last novel in a series should, but then I heard Jan Karon is writing more novels about Father Tim. They just won't be set in Mitford. (Well, neither were a couple of the Mitford books.) Interesting.

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller
This is the newest addition to my Favorite Books list. It's exactly what the title says - a line-by-line look at Psalm 23 from the perspective of a real shepherd. There are many deep levels of meaning in the psalm that most of us miss because we don't know sheep terms. :) For that reason, I think this is a book that every Christian should read. It's fairly short and easy, but I feel so much more cherished and cared for by God now that I understand what it means to have Him as my Shepherd. Very enriching.

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus*
Another re-read, for a book circle I'm part of. :) This is a novel about a nanny (named Nanny :P) who cares for a sweet rich boy in NYC. As her employment continues, she basically ends up baby-sitting his dysfunctional parents as well. It's hard to put down and has funny moments, but for the most part, it's a sad book. Sad because I know that there really are self-absorbed parents in the world who see their child as nothing more than a fashion accessory or a pawn in their marital struggles.

Dress Rehearsal by Jennifer O'Connell
I think I heard about this book from one of you. It's a novel about Lauren, who's the most popular wedding-cake baker in Boston. She has a weird knack of knowing whether a marriage will work out by observing the way the couple selects their cake. Unfortunately, when her best friend comes in to choose her wedding cake, Lauren's impending-disaster alarms start going off. While she's figuring out what to do about that, her ex-boyfriend shows up with his fiancee (surprise!) and selects the very cake that Lauren wanted for herself someday. Funny drama ensues. I LOVED it! The only drawback to this book was that I craved cake the whole time I was reading it. Luckily we didn't have any. :)

Books this month: 6
2006 year to date: 26